Rinks open, rinks closed — don’t get confused

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Some outdoor skating rinks across Toronto are closing this week, but a bunch of other rinks are remaining open.  Don’t get confused. The 29 rinks that are still available right through March Break are open with the assistance of two corporate donors Green for Life and MLSE. But there are 23 other rinks which are going to close for lack of municipal funds to maintain them. Rinks staying open. Rinks closing 

“Mother” Angela Merkel meets Il Papa Francesco

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German Chancellor Angela (Mother) Merkel met Pope Francis on Saturday in Rome and of course they got along just fine. Merkel and Francis are hard-headed leaders who have a common interest in the future of Europe. Incidentally she is known in Germany as “Mutti” or mother and in the Pope’s native Argentina he is Papa Francesco.  Merkel visited Rome for a few hours specifically to meet the pontiff and spoke with him privately in his library for 45 minutes, unusually long for a private papal audience.

Bill O’Reilly faces questions about “war combat”

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Bill O’Reilly is said to be scheduled to appear on Howard Kurtz’s media program Media Buzz tomorrow morning on Fox News to try to put to rest allegations that he inflated stories about his reporting career. The complaints centre on O’Reilly’s use of the terms “war zone” and his repeated assertions that he had “seen combat” in places like the Falklands War in 1982.  His colleagues from that period recall that O’Reilly, and most other reporters, were forced to cover the war from their hotels in Buenos Aires. Many of O’Reilly’s references to the period are phrased as “in Argentina, in the  Falklands.” Kurtz’s program is seen at 11 a.m. Sunday on Fox. Associated Press  Bill O’Reilly Twitter comments Erik Wemple blog

Saddened Mayor Tory visits memorial for Elijah

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A very sad looking Mayor Tory has visited the memorial for Elijah Marsh on Neptune Drive in North York. The little boy froze on the street Thursday morning after letting himself out of the apartment building where his grandmother lived. Mr. Tory placed flowers on the memorial. He has also asked Toronto Housing Corporation to examine security and related procedures around their properties. In Elijah’s case, the lad was able to let himself out of the unlocked door to his grandmother’s apartment and then open external doors that would normally permit that from the inside. 

Icy road warning in South Bayview Saturday

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Police are warning area motorists to watch out for very icy conditions. The ongoing snow and delayed sanding are responsible. In particular the Bayview extension is said to be slippery. Tweets from Toronto Police Operations say there is dangerous ice on Broadview Ave. at the top of Pottery Rd. and on Bayivew at Rosedale Valley Rd.  The eastbound Leaside Bridge is closed because of a collision at Overlea and there is a  water main break at Thorncliffe Park Drive and Overlea Blvd. Toronto Police Operations on Twitter

British girls “groomed” by ISIL as jihadi brides

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Families of the ‘Syria-bound’ teen girls from London are begging them to come home The three got out of the country through Gatwick airport on Tuesday and are now believed to be in Turkey, waiting a chance to sneak into Syria. BBC Video The U-K government is also calling on the girls to call home or contact the Turkish Police. Scotland Yard is under pressure to explain how unescorted minors would be allowed through airport security. The MP for the district where the girls went to school at the Bethel Green Academy says she is deeply worried about them and fears they have been groomed in a type of child-exploitation into becoming so-called jihadi brides. The three teens are 15 and 16. The MP, Rushanara Ali, said it appears the girls were persuaded to leave Britain by someone who was talking to them on the Internet. MailOnline  Teen girls leave Britain to become jihadi brides 

Cody kids in the cold over unexplained alarm

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There seems to have been a bit of slack in deciding what to do with a bunch of shivering kids outside Maurice Cody School Thursday. The alarm went off and that requires evacuation of the building. Some 600 children and about 60 staff members were outside for an estimated 20 minutes before the fire department concluded there was no basis for the alarm. It’s unclear whether it was a malfunction or a mischievous false alarm. Principal Andrew Howard sent home a letter today (Friday, February 20., 2015) in which he praised senior kids for sharing coats with those who had none. And that’s the thing. Senior or junior, 20 minutes is too long to be outside in minus 20 weather without a coat. Ryan Bird of the school board said that staff apparently wanted to move the pupils to a another school but the fire department said it wouldn’t be long. Not the right call. How long is long. It’s not the fire department’s business to decide how a kid’s day is spent. It appears few people are complaining but there is a lesson. Fire commanders (or whomever) have got to be more aware of the weather in such situations. These conditions don’t happen often but it appears the fire department needs it own extreme cold weather warning. Metro

GFL. MLSE donate money to keep rinks open

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Mayor Tory has announced that two private companies have agreed to donate $200,000 to keep 12 outdoor skating rinks open for another month if the weather stays cold. Green For Life (GFL) which collects the garbage west of Yonge St., and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment will share the cost. Another 17 rinks will be be sustained by the City.This means that 29 outdoors rinks in total will continue to be valuable as long as it stays cold enough.  This includes the rink at Hodgson Jr. Public School on Davisville Ave and the Dieppe Park rink on Cosburn Ave. All 29 rinks listed here. 

Millwood Melt a bit of grilled cheese heaven

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The husband and wife team of  Aniko Szocs and Stephen D’Amico have just seen their comfort-food business turn three. The couple traded in their lives as English teachers to follow a simple but rewarding dream. The breakfast and lunch restaurant known as Millwood Melt at 902 Millwod Rd. is well billed as a bright and welcoming place for grilled cheese sandwiches with sides of soup and pickles. In addition to the classic grilled cheese, some flagship variations are the Tuna Kahuna (self-explanatory) Green Machine (avocado, arugula, pesto and Monterrey Jack), Hamelot (smoke ham, caramelized onions, mustard and Swiss) and the Rise and Shine (scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh tomato slices, awesome sauce and melty Cheddar). “We try to keep it simple,” says Aniko. The couple’s simple formula has made a sweet piece of grilled cheese heaven. In addition to the sandwiches you can catch, if you like, some veggie straw chips, pickles (spicy or just dill) a variety of canned drinks, water, coffee and organic shortbread cookies. Aniko and Stephen broke out of hit and  miss work in the school system when Aniko’s dad retired from his denture making practice in the same centre unit of the little mall at Millwood Rd. at Randolph Ave. Aniko’s family has been at this location for  decades. Not to be outdone, however, Stephen says he has Leaside in his heart.    

Teen girls leave Britain to find Jihadi husbands

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Three London schoolgirls have flown to Turkey amid fears they succumbed to the allure of a life as the wife of a Jihadi fighter with the Islamic State terrorist group. Dr Erin Saltman is a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and has looked into why women from the West join Islamic State. Dr Saltman said part of the attraction was “adventure seeking and being part of a romantic journey”, whereas the reality was “quite grim”.